1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle including a system for coordinating the home delivery of automotive services.
2. Description of the Related Art
The increasing decentralization of population centers has created a society in the United States (and many of the industrialized nations) in which people must either spend a great deal of time traveling to obtain services or pay others to perform such services. For example, home newspaper delivery is popular in suburban environments because the nearest newsstand may be five miles distant from one""s home. The decentralization of homes, work places, shopping and service locations requires much time to be spent traveling in an automobile.
However, regarding the most basic automotive services, there is no equivalent to anything analogous to newspaper home delivery. The purchase of gasoline and the refueling of the vehicle still requires an inconvenient stop at a service station. Emergency services may be provided (e.g. if a car runs out of fuel on a highway, a service vehicle may be dispatched by xe2x80x9cAAAxe2x80x9d or the like), but at great cost to the customer. The automotive services industry is geared toward providing normal services at their own service locations or toward providing expensive emergency services at remote locations.
While normal home services may include newspaper delivery, septic system cleaning, lawn mowing and maintenance, and the delivery of home heating oil, there is no service that will deliver gasoline to your car at home or at another predetermined location (e.g., office, etc.). This requires drivers to spend time searching for and driving to sources of fuel unnecessarily. This same problem exists in practically all forms of automobile maintenance (e.g., oil changes, checking and maintaining tire pressure, checking and replacement of transmission fluids, and the like).
Computer technology for providing information and application functions to automotive vehicles is becoming pervasive. For example, vehicles are being outfitted with computers that contain display devices, particularly warning sensors for indicating a low fuel condition, a door ajar condition, temperature, maintenance reminders, and so forth (e.g., see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/311,277, entitled xe2x80x9cInformation System for Mobile Usersxe2x80x9d, and filed May 14, 1999 and U.S. Ser. No. 09/357,840, entitled xe2x80x9cSystem and Method for (Network) Vehicle Diagnostics and Health Monitoringxe2x80x9d, filed Jul. 21, 1999, both incorporated herein by reference).
While the above-described vehicle technology is widespread, none of the conventional systems and methods recognizes (let alone addresses) the advantages of applying computer technology to vehicles to reduce the amount of time searching for and driving to automotive fuel and/or maintenance sources.
In view of the foregoing and other problems, disadvantages, and drawbacks of the conventional methods and structures, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure and method for monitoring the status of vehicle fuel and fluid levels and providing automotive services at the owner""s residence or vehicle location.
In a first aspect of the present invention, a system for the home delivery of automotive services is provided, thereby reducing the need to travel and pay high prices at service stations. As mentioned above, current technologies are capable of monitoring the electronic control units (ECUs) of an automobile using an on-board client computer device and to provide the information necessary for an electronic signal to be communicated to a service provider at a central location.
In an exemplary embodiment, a sensor monitors the level of fuel (e.g., diesel, gasoline, etc.) in the tank of a person""s vehicle and uses a communications system to inform a remote server of the level of gas in the tank. The remote server determines that the level of gasoline is low and dispatches a service vehicle to the location of the person""s vehicle to fill the tank. The service can be done at a time when the vehicle is parked, for example, in a parking lot at a workplace or at night at a customer""s residence.
In addition to fuel, other automobile maintenance conditions (e.g., fluid and oil levels, battery charge level, tire pressure, etc.) may be automatically monitored and service performed without requiring the vehicle owner to seek out and visit a service station.
The decision-making apparatus for deciding when servicing is required can be located in the vehicle (e.g., an in-vehicle computer monitor) or alternatively by a computer located at a central service area. A communications device, also known as a telecom device, located in the vehicle preferably sends a xe2x80x9crequest for servicexe2x80x9d message or a monitoring result depending upon where the service decision is made.
Additionally, a location coordinate can be sent to the service center to guide a service provider using a navigational system to the parked vehicle.
Variations of the embodiment may include a telephone communication from the service center to a customer following the receipt of, for example, a low-fuel level reading, service provided upon request or automatically, and service dependent upon location. For example, if a vehicle is outside of an economically feasible servicing radius, then service may not be provided.
Invoicing in such a system preferably occurs as service is provided and could be performed via automatic debit of an account number, by paper invoice, or based upon some other formula.